What to plant
Growing Peppers in Raised Beds
Peppers do well in raised beds because the soil warms early. Transplant them 1 to 2 weeks after your last spring frost, 12 to 18 inches apart, in at least 10 to 12 inches of soil and full sun.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | 8–10 weeks before last spring frost |
| Transplant | 1–2 weeks after last frost |
| Soil temperature | At least 60°F, ideally 65°F or more |
| Spacing | 12 in for compact hot types; 18 in for large bells |
| Bed depth | 10–12 in |
| Soil pH | 6.0–6.8 |
| Green fruit | About 60–80 days after transplant |
| Fully colored fruit | Another 2–4 weeks on the plant |
When to plant
Peppers are slow, heat-loving plants, so most gardeners start seed indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost or buy transplants. Harden them off for a week by setting them outside a few hours longer each day. Plant out one to two weeks after the frost date, when nighttime lows stay above about 55°F. Peppers set out into cold soil sit still for weeks and often end up smaller than ones planted later into warm ground.
The season ends with the first fall frost, which kills plants outright, so pick everything usable before a frost night. In short-summer areas, choose varieties listed at 70 days or fewer from transplant.
Spacing and depth
Set compact hot peppers about 12 inches apart and large bell types 18 inches apart. Staggered spacing in a 4-foot bed gives two or three plants across, roughly 12 to 15 in a 4x8. Close spacing works in peppers' favor up to a point: the leaves shade each other's fruit and cut sunscald. Plant at the same depth they grew in the pot, or an inch deeper at most.
Pepper roots work mostly in the top foot of soil, so 10 to 12 inches of bed depth is enough over loosened ground. If your bed sits on a patio or compacted fill, check our raised bed depth guide before filling it.
Soil and feeding
Peppers want loose, well-drained soil with steady fertility, not a heavy dose of nitrogen. Too much nitrogen grows big leafy plants with few peppers. Start with a raised bed soil mix and an inch of compost, and mix in a balanced granular fertilizer at planting at the label rate. Side-dress again once small peppers appear on the branches, then once more a month later. Keep the pH between 6.0 and 6.8 so the plants can take up calcium.
Watering
Give peppers about 1 to 2 inches of water a week, more during heat waves, and keep it even. Swings between dry and soaked soil cause blossom drop and the dark, sunken patches of blossom end rot. Water at the base in the morning, and wait to mulch until the soil has warmed, then add 2 to 3 inches of straw or shredded leaves to hold moisture. Drip line on a timer suits a pepper bed well; see watering raised garden beds.
Crop specifics: warm soil, spacing, staking, sweet vs hot
Warm soil first
Raised beds already warm faster than the ground in spring. Speed them up further by covering the bed with black plastic for a week or two before planting, then cut holes for the transplants. A floating row cover for the first few weeks helps on cool nights.
Staking
Pepper branches are brittle, and a plant loaded with fruit can snap or tip over in loose bed soil after a storm. Push a 3- to 4-foot stake in beside each plant at planting time and tie the main stem loosely as it grows, or use small wire cages.
Sweet vs hot
Sweet peppers, from bells to long frying types, generally need a bit more water and fertility to size up. Hot peppers often handle heat better and keep setting fruit later into summer. Planting both together is fine; cross-pollination affects the seeds, not the peppers you pick this year. Wear gloves when picking and cutting hot varieties, and keep hands away from your eyes.
Flower drop
Blossoms often fall when daytime highs pass about 90°F or nights drop below about 55°F. Plants usually resume setting fruit once temperatures moderate.
Harvest
Bell peppers can be picked green once they reach full size and feel firm, or left on for two to four more weeks to turn red, yellow or orange and grow sweeter. Picking regularly encourages the plant to set more. Cut peppers off with pruners or scissors, leaving a short stub of stem; pulling tears branches. Store unwashed peppers in the fridge for about a week to ten days.
Peppers pair well with basil and other herbs in raised beds, and many gardeners grow them in the same warm-season bed as cucumbers. Our list of what to plant helps fill the rest of the space.
Common problems
Pale, papery patches on fruit
That is sunscald on exposed peppers. Avoid pruning leaves, space plants close and use shade cloth during extreme heat.
Black, sunken fruit ends
Blossom end rot follows uneven watering. Water deeply on a schedule and mulch once soil is warm.
Lots of leaves, few peppers
Excess nitrogen or cold nights are common causes. Switch to a lower-nitrogen feed and be patient until weather settles.
Curled, sticky leaves
Aphids cluster under leaves and on new tips. Spray them off with water or use insecticidal soap.